


The Land on Which Life Stands

by cafecliche



Category: Ergo Proxy - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-19
Updated: 2009-12-19
Packaged: 2017-10-04 16:09:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafecliche/pseuds/cafecliche
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rarely did a piece of ground exist that Ergo Proxy had never stood on. So when one did, he always remembered it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Land on Which Life Stands

Rarely did a piece of ground exist that Ergo Proxy had never stood on. So when one did, he always remembered it.

The walls of that city were higher than any he'd ever seen – not that he was convinced they'd be much trouble, if he cared enough to find a way around them. He'd long convinced himself that the only interest he had in that place was the sheer arrogance of the Proxy of Life, thinking that he'd want to meet her that much.

It was a constant source of amusement for Monad, who delighted in hinting that she had seen Proxy Three-Hundred "once or twice."

"Aren't you going to ask me what she's like?" Monad could always act angelic when it suited her.

Ergo Proxy pointed out, rightly, that she'd tell him anyway.

"Well," she said with a savage smile, "she's the complete opposite of you."

Ergo Proxy said he didn't want to know – merely wondered at her arrogance.

"If it bothers you so much," she offered, "why don't you just go there?"

Ergo Proxy never did.

***

This week, it was spaceships.

Pino always had something new to fixate on, it seemed. Or maybe she just loved new information so much that she couldn't help but fixate on it. And she had an endless font of information in Kristeva, who could be easily goaded into giving history lessons. (Vincent didn't know that autoreivs could _bristle_ until Pino called it "story time.")

So that week, it was spaceships. Pino ran in circles around the deck, imitating an engine's whir, occasionally replying to imagined orders from mission control. She weaved around Vincent's legs, dived under Re-l's, and shrieked that she was about to hit an asteroid before swerving around Kristeva.

Kristeva didn't seem to notice Pino, her visuals focused at the object in the distance. Though she had limited facial functions, her frown was always audible. "It looks to be deserted to me."

Re-l, however, had the luxury of a full frown as her narrow stare took in the remains before them: disproportionately tall, its walls were completely gone on one side, so it stood as open to the world as a dollhouse. From what was visible, whatever had been inside wasn't there anymore.

"Deserted or not," Re-l said with finality, "we don't have to bother." Ophelia wasn't that long ago, after all.

"If there is anything of use to be had," Kristeva explained with maddening patience, "then it would be a waste to ignore it."

Vincent could have predicted the exact second they both turned to face him. Whether this was omnipotence or experience, he couldn't say. But at length, he said, "… let's leave this one alone, all right? We have plenty here."

That seemed to be enough for Kristeva – she dropped the issue without so much as a protest, deciding that reprimanding Pino would be a much better use of her time. But Re-l didn't move, her glance shifting from expectant to interrogating.

She never seemed quite comfortable asking, "Did you know that one?" But Vincent answered her anyway.

"Not exactly." He scratched the back of his head absently. "I heard of her."

"And?" She fell back alongside him, their elbows almost slightly touching. "She's still there?"

The Rabbit gave a little shudder at a sharp gust of wind – Vincent, jarred, turned to face Re-l, smiling. "No," he said. "Not for a long time."


End file.
